


i see you loving on the sidelines (i think about it at the wrong times)

by SpyKids69420



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-13 20:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19258714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyKids69420/pseuds/SpyKids69420
Summary: Penelope Park knows herself. She knows what she wants, who she wants, and how shes going to get it. That's how she got Josie Saltzman. Penelope Park also knows that breaking up with Josie wasn't a mistake, only that it didn't go as planned. She broke up with Josie with no intention of actually like, staying broken up. Looking back, it's rather stupid, she can even admit that. So she has no right to be shocked when Josie moves on.And she knows this. And if she wants Josie to be like her, to form her own thoughts and desires, then where's the faults in helping her ex-girlfriend go after what she wants? Or, who she wants?And it appears, Josie wants Hope Mikaelson.OR, Penelope and Josie are exes, Hope likes Josie, Josie likes Hope, Josie hates Penelope, Penelope and Hope don't know each other, and Penelope is utterly in love with Josie.Something like that anyways.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Why am i starting a new fic while i still have several to finish? Whoops. Howeverrr this idea literally came to me as i was writing it. It started as a little character exploration on Penelope, thats why she's the biggest focus in this chapter. Then i thought i may as well turn it into a posie one-shot, because why the hell not? Then i remembered i've been meaning to write phosie for ages now, so ta-da!! Yes this is a phosie fic, so even if it might take a while to get there, the endgame for this fic will be penelope/josie/hope, so if that's not your thing then this is the warning lmao. Tumblr is bisexualbrowan if you want to talk about my ideas for the fic. Feedback and criticism is welcomed, hope y'all enjoy!!

Penelope Park knows who she is. She’s certain on her identity.

 

Ever since she had been a preteen, she had always tried her best to stay clear of her house. Mainly because; she doesn’t like her mother. Claire-Marie Park was always more interested in being a socialite than a mother. Never one to try and connect to any of her children. Penelope doesn’t hate her, but she just can’t stand to be around the woman. 

 

So obviously, she takes the first chance she could to fly across the country to be away from her. 

Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted was much like her old school. A lot of the kids come from money, there’s very distinct social groupings, and Penelope is by far the most enjoyable person there.

She may have a small superiority complex, but she can’t help it. There was a four-year phase between the ages of ten to fourteen where Penelope most likely watched every single Telenovela there has ever been recorded. One small suggestion from one of her maids, who was also called Penelope, turned into a full-blown obsession. She knows more Spanish than Indonesian, much to her father’s dismay. She plans on becoming fluent in both German and Indonesian one day, she knows she can, but she can’t help that she’s spiteful.

Okay, she may know more German and Indonesian than she lets on to her parents, but there was never any harm in giving them more of a reason to think she’s a disappointment.

Right, this is getting off-track. Characters in Telenovelas are fun. They’re loud, funny and completely unrealistic. So those four years of binge-watching really just made everyone boring to Penelope. So instead on focusing on creating relationships with others, she took the chance to better herself. By the time she started high school she had the ability to make everyone worship the ground she works on. Not that it was much work, a slightly bitchy and mean attitude was enough for the humans to try and gain her approval.

She was worried her natural leadership abilities would damper when she would be surrounded by new people who may already have their own social hierarchy. Very soon after settling in she found out that wasn’t the case.

It surprised her how quickly the witches accepted her as the new head-bitch -in-charge. All she has to do is wink and give a sarcastic comment and the others crowned her queen. Metaphorically, I mean.

The first student to pique her interest was one of her tour guides. Lightly curled brown hair, soft and inviting brown eyes, and a whole persona that just screams ‘I’m baby.’ 

People don’t usually have any effect on Penelope. She doesn’t remember a single instance where she’s had a crush. At the ripe age of fifteen, it could be argued she was kind of a late bloomer in that instance, but on the other hand, not at all. She lost her virginity previously that year, some girl that was a little older and a little bit pretty had asked Penelope if she wanted to go home with her. Penelope couldn’t find a reason to say no.

Maybe there was a lot of reasons. Like the whole wham shazam that losing your virginity should be a special ordeal you do with someone you love very much. But ever-the-feminist Penelope Park doesn’t buy into the societal construct of losing one’s virginity. Sure it kind of sucked, but that’s just because the older girl had no idea what she was doing, not because it wasn’t a meaningful first. And maybe she was too young, but she always looked older so why would it matter?

Maybe she has some issues she needs to work through.

 

But this girl. This girl who was stood beside a much livelier and loud blonde who introduces the both of them as the headmaster’s daughters. Twins. Josie and Lizzie Saltzman. Beautiful girls, Penelope notes straight away. She thinks the blonde’s a little annoying, but ultimately harmless. The other girl, though.

 

Penelope was intrigued.

 

Ever since she had arrived, she liked to watch out for Josie. Not in a creepy stalker way, but she just liked to look. She’d be at lunch, followers surrounding her listening to her every word, and Penelope would let her eyes drift across the cafeteria. And there would sit Josie Saltzman, picking at her food and listening as her twin talks. And Josie would go to eat a grape, but that grape would fall out her hand before it reaches her mouth, and Josie would look confused and mildly embarrassed, looking around to see if anyone caught her fail.

If it had been anyone else, Penelope would’ve thought that person was strange. But it was Josie. And it was fucking adorable.

Four weeks into her stay at the school there’s a party. There has been a party every Friday, either in someone’s dorm or in the woods and Penelope had been to every one of them so far. She enjoyed parties, enjoyed the way everyone took is as an excuse to do things they would never do if they were sober. Penelope likes to take note of that. Much to her surprise, Josie has been to most of them as well. She would’ve thought the other witch would prefer to stay inside and read a book or something equally as dorky, but she doesn’t. 

One night she goes up to Josie at a party. They talk. And its final.

Penelope Park has a crush on Josie Saltzman.

 

She thought it would scare her. It had never happened before. Her willingness to comply to said crush surprised her.

 

So she asks Josie Saltzman on a date.

 

The rest is history.

 

Until it’s not.

 

Because seven months of being the cutest couple of the entire school. Seven months of kissing each other whenever it’s possible. Seven months of sneaking off-campus and going on dates into the town, has all been washed down the drain.

 

And it’s Penelope’s fault. 

 

Because she broke up with Josie Saltzman. In public. She has her reasons, doesn’t mean any of them are good or not. 

For some reason, Penelope viewed that breakup as temporarily. Her main reason for breaking up with Josie was because she wanted the other girl to gain some independence. Mostly from her sister. Because Josie’s identity is based on the people around her. She shapes herself to mold whoever she’s surrounded by. And Penelope knows that wasn’t healthy. She thought if by making Josie hate her, then its her forming a completely original thought.

 

That didn’t even happen though. Lizzie Saltzman, who Penelope was never the biggest fan of but never outright hated, truly believed Penelope was Satan incarnate after the cruel breakup. It’s possible Josie’s views influenced her sisters view, but there’s no way for Penelope to know that.

 

But she would wait for Josie. Wait until their relationship could be healthy again. Wait until Josie was authentically herself, nothing holding her back.

She was waiting for Josie. 

It hit her like a billion arrows to the gut that Josie may not wait for her. 

All because of _Hope fucking Mikaelson._

 

Penelope noticed very few people that first day of school. She noticed a brunette twin with kissable pouty lips. She noticed a blonde twin with less kissable lips. She noticed a nerdy boy with nice hair and a wide smile who greeted her as she walked into the student lounge that day. And she noticed Hope Mikaelson. 

They had never talked. They never had reason to. But Penelope notices that her and Hope are pretty alike.

Alike in the sense that they know their identities. Hope didn’t have any friends. Not because she was some freak of nature, but by choice. It was the exact opposite of how Penelope hand-picked the people she surrounds herself with. 

Penelope doesn’t know much about Hope, but she always liked her. Respected her, even.

That respect momentarily went away when she saw Hope and Josie at a party one night, very close and not as drunk as everyone else. The way Hope would hang on everything Josie was saying, and how Josie done the same. 

Because for god-knows what reason, Hope decides the first person she’s going to befriend in the year Penelope’s been at this school, just happens to be the girl Penelope’s still in love with.

She sees them together a few times after that. Smiling at each other, Josie being casually affectionate. Hope being a little hesitant. They aren’t together, not yet. Hope pulls back often, sometimes putting her walls back up. Josie’s still too nervous to voice her thoughts in case of rejection.

Penelope’s not a stalker, she literally just happens to see them everywhere.

 

The thing about Penelope is that she knows she’s a little narcissistic. She knows what she needs to do to have a comfortable time as a teenager. She knows she dislikes her parents. She knows she’s not emotionless, just maybe a little stunted. She knows she’s in love with Josie Saltzman.

And despite what people might say about her, despite what she may say about herself, she knows she’s not selfish. 

All she wants is for Josie to be her own person. To go after what she wants. To go after whoever she wants. Penelope definitely assumed it would be her even after the breakup (a little short minded there). But it seemed that wasn’t the case. Meddling is something Penelope promised herself she would do less of as time went on. 

But if Josie wants Hope Mikaelson, then Penelope is going to help her get Hope Mikaelson. No matter how much pain it could put her in. 

 

What’s the worst that could happen?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol its half four in the morning and i really cant be bothered proofreading this so pls tell me if ive made any grammatical mistakes lmao. Hope yall enjoy anyways.

It’s hard to focus on geography when the girl your crushing on is sitting right next to you.

 

Because, like, who really cares about climate change when Josie Saltzman’s leg is grazing yours? And like sure, a lot of people care about climate change because it’s a really big problem that’s probably going to be the death of everyone, but Hope isn’t thinking about that right now. And maybe her schoolgirl-like crush on her friend distracting her from class isn’t all that good either, but its not like she doesn’t already know everything she’s learning.

 

 _And Josie is pretty distracting in general,_ Hope thinks.

“Did you get that last statistic down?” She hears in her ear. Turning her head, Josie’s leaned in, looking at her expectantly. She’s not close enough that Hope could feel her breath on her ear, but if she moved ever so slightly then she would.

“I haven’t really been paying attention, to be honest.” She says back, not wanting to say that its Josie that’s distracting her. Josie just huffs from her nose and turns back to the front of class.

 

She isn’t sure if Josie feels the same way, and she isn’t rushing to find out. Hope knows she’s kind of a loner. Surrounding yourself with people you don’t really care for isn’t what Hope’s about. The thing is, Hope care’s about Josie.

They weren’t friends when they were younger. Friendly acquaintances, maybe, but nothing outright. Once Lizzie decided Hope was her arch-nemesis, whatever chance of friendship they could’ve had became minute. 

And then, out of seemingly nowhere, Josie Saltzman wormed herself into Hope’s life. 

A couple friendly conversations turned into Hope buying Josie a birthday present. Which, sure, you could say was a big development to the friendship on Hope’s part, but it doesn’t really matter who started it. 

Because they are friends.

 

And Hope likes being Josie’s friend.

 

Hope’s a tribrid. Part werewolf, part witch, part vampire. She’s quite literally one of a kind. She’s most likely the most powerful being in the world at the moment.

She’s also a teenage girl.

 

She’s a teenage girl who has a crush on another teenage girl. And what’s the best way to deal with your feelings? There’s one good answer Hope’s settled on.

Bury them. Deep. 

 

Penelope Park won’t let that happen, apparently.

 

Walking into your dorm and finding Penelope Park sitting on your bed can be rather terrifying if you’re not expecting it. And _God_ Hope wasn’t fucking expecting that. Its as if she’d forgotten she can quite easily fight off the witch in a matter of seconds, because the high-pitched squeal she let out wasn’t entirely intimidating.

 

Because she’s just walked into her room, and the ex-girlfriend of the girl she currently likes is in her room. They’ve never spoken, not really. They’re not friends. It just, like, really fucking weird.

 

“What are you doing?” She gets out, hovering by her own door. If Penelope Park’s having some sort of mental breakdown and trying to murder her, she wants to be near an exit. Not because she’s afraid, she could take Penelope Park any day of the week. More in the case that locking a murderous Penelope in her room until someone comes to take her away is maybe the best outcome here.

To Hope’s annoyance, Penelope ignores the question. “Hope Mikaelson.” She said, smiling up at a confused Hope. “What’s up?”

 

“Really? _What’s up?_ The fuck are you doing in my room, Park?” Hope replies, growing more impatient than anything else.

Penelope looks baffled at Hope’s tone, as if being questioned on why you’ve broken into a strangers room at 8PM on a Monday is the strangest query in the world. “I just wanted to talk to you. No need to go all wolfy on me, Mikaelson.”

 

Hope doesn’t even get time to let the atrocious _Wolfy_ settle in before she starts speaking again. “You really couldn’t have talked to me in one of the four classes we share together? You just had to break into my room?” 

Penelope has the audacity to role her eyes at Hope’s words. “I _barely_ broke into your room, you’re the one that left it unlocked. And I wanted it to be private, is that too much to ask?” She answers, crossing her arms and tilting her head up at Hope, looking confident as usual.

Hope hasn’t moved from her placement at the door, still partially weary of the witches current state. But, against her logic, she closes the door. 

“Fine. What is it you oh-so-desperately wanted to talk about that it couldn’t wait until the free period we literally share together tomorrow?” There’s one answer Hope really doesn’t want Penelope to say.

 

“It’s about Josie.”

 

_Whoop, there it is._

 

She can’t help the way she tenses up at the girls name. Any other situation, she’s sure her stomach would have some slight butterflies at the mention of her crushes name. But having the ex-girlfriend that’s apparently been trying to win her back rather recently is a whole other situation.

“What about Josie?” She answers, after a rather hefty silence.

Penelope leans back onto her bed and uncrosses her arms, letting them hold her up. It would’ve been hotter in a different circumstance. “It’s about your feelings.” She says with a straight face. “For Josie.”

 

Hope should deny it. It’s not like its public knowledge, as far as she knows Penelope’s the only one to ever mention it before. But she can’t help but get defensive, because who does Penelope think she is to snoop around her exes love life? “Okay, and what about it?” She says back, staring Penelope down.

The way Penelope’s face morphs into a smile surprises Hope. “No need to be hostile. Truthfully, I thought you would’ve at least tried to deny it. But it looks like I don’t know you, Mikaelson.”

She wants to answer with something like _’You’re right. You don’t know me’_ or anything equally as forceful. But mostly, she wants this conversation to be over.

“Is that all you came here to do? Point out the fact I have may or may not feelings for Josie and head off?” She says in one breath, hoping the other witch can just leave already.  


“No, actually,” Penelope stands up from the bed, but doesn’t move closer to Hope. “I’m here with an offering.”

That catches Hope’s attention. What in the world could Penelope Park offer her that has to do with Josie? 

Penelope keeps talking when Hope doesn’t speak. “She has feelings for you as well, I’m sure of it. She _wants_ you, Mikaelson.”

Hope has no idea where the other girls going with this, and she expresses as much. “Where are you going with this?”

“Look, I know its…unconventional. But if you want, I can help you win over Josie.” Penelope says, inching closer towards her. 

“Why the hell would you want to do that? You’re her ex, this entire conversation is fucking weird.” Hope hiss-shouts. She’s seriously ten seconds away from having an aneurism.

“Its not that we- look, whatever. The thing is, I’m the one who told Josie to go after what she wants. I told her she shouldn’t hold back, to be selfish. Maybe I didn’t have in mind that she’d want anyone but me, but I was wrong. So if Josie wants to be with you, then it’s basically my duty to make sure that happens.” Penelope tells her, getting closer by the word.

She doesn’t know Penelope Park. This is the first time they’ve ever muttered more than two words to the other. But, for some reason, she can’t see any ulterior motives in the girls eyes, only a raw emotion Hope can’t quite tell. Something determined. Or hopeful. Or sad. Probably all three.

Hope takes a breath. 

 

“Your logic is flawed.” She says to Penelope.

 

“I’ve thought this through.” The other girl starts, before letting out a small laugh. “But yeah, probably.”

 

This wasn’t how Hope envisioned spending her night. Her plan was to go for a run before taking a shower. Then watch some shitty reality TV show until she got tired. But for Josie’s ex-girlfriend to break into her room and say she wants to help her get with Josie? Out of the question. 

 

But its happening. And Hope has no idea how to respond. Because, on one hand, she really likes Josie. And if Penelope’s right, then Josie likes her back. And although being Josie’s friend is more than enough for her, being something _more_ tugs in her chest. On the other hand, this whole situation is so fucking strange. 

“I’ll sleep on it.”

Penelope smirks at her words, looking as though she’s just won something. It doesn’t dim the uneasiness Hope’s feeling. 

 

Penelope steps past Hope to go out the door. But before leaving, she turns to Hope. “Don’t be an idiot. You know what you want.” She says, barely an inch from Hope’s face. Then, with a final wink, she’s gone.

 

Yeah, _definitely_ not how Hope imagined her night.


End file.
